Patients Don't Realize Smoking Worsens Bowel Disease

While research has shown that smoking can increase the risk of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and worsen symptoms, a new study suggests that most patients aren’t aware of this connection.

Researchers from the University of Montreal Hospital Center asked 182 people with Crohn’s disease and 77 people with ulcerative colitis (UC) about their diagnosis, symptoms, smoking history, and the risk of tobacco use in IBD patients. Participants were mostly white women in their 40s.

Fewer than half of Crohn’s patients and about 10 percent of UC patients understood the risks and relationship between smoking and IBD. This was surprising to the researchers because 20 percent of the participants smoked and 40 percent used to smoke. People who did understand the complications said they planned on quitting, compared to people who did not know about the potential complications of smoking.

One limitation of the study, published in the Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology, was its dependence on participants being able to recall their smoking habits.

Researchers strongly encouraged all IBD patients to quit smoking and talk to their doctors about the risks.

Can Playing Tetris Reduce Cravings?

Tetris strikes again. A new international study, published in the journal Addictive Behaviors, has found that playing the popular electronic tile puzzle game may make it easier for people to fight off cravings.

Researchers from the University of Plymouth in the UK and Queensland University of Technology in Australia analyzed 31 undergraduates between ages 18 to 27, of which 24 were females and seven were males. Participants were randomly separated into two groups. One group played Tetris while the other group acted as a control.

Throughout the experiment, participants were sent text messages asking about their cravings seven times a day for one week, including “Have you indulged in the item you reported craving previously?” “How much are you under the influence of alcohol?” and “Are you currently craving anything?”

If the last question solicited a yes, participants were then asked to rate their craving on a scale from zero to 100. For the Tetris group, they were assigned to first play the game for three minutes before answering the questions.

Results revealed that after briefly playing Tetris, cravings were reduced from 70 to 56 percent. One researcher noted that cravings involve the imagination and picturing the indulgence and satisfaction from the craving. But Tetris is a visually intense game and, therefore, already taps into the mental processes involved in imagery. This “Tetris effect” was consistent throughout the week involving all kinds of cravings.

Overall, cravings were reported 30 percent of the time. Food and non-alcoholic drinks were the most common cravings. Other substances, such as coffee, cigarettes, and alcohol comprised 21 percent of cravings. Activities, such as sleep, socializing, sex or playing video games totaled 16 percent of cravings.

Coffee Lowers Chance That Colon Cancer Will Return

Drinking four cups of coffee a day can lower the chance of colon cancer returning, concludes new research at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. The study, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, is one of the first to analyze an association between coffee consumption and colon cancer recurrence.

For the study, nearly 1,000 patients completed questionnaires on their dietary patterns before, during, and a year after being treated for stage III colon cancer. All patients were treated with either surgery or chemotherapy. In general, these types of colon cancer patients have a 35 percent chance of recurrence.

Researchers found that the greatest benefit came from drinking at least four cups of caffeinated coffee a day. People who drank this much were 42 percent less likely to have their cancer return compared to non-coffee drinkers and 33 percent less likely to die from cancer or other causes. Two to three cups of coffee brought a more modest benefit, and one cup or less warranted little protection.

Researchers believe the benefits come from the caffeine and not the other components in coffee, but they are not sure why. One idea is that caffeine increases the body’s response to insulin, which can help reduce inflammation. More research is needed before coffee is recommended to colon cancer patients.